Modular panel for transpiring, variable-geometry formwork

ABSTRACT

A modular panel intended for variable-geometry formwork, made up of at least one connecting plate featuring, on its surface, a plurality of engaging teeth and/or recesses and at least one panel body featuring one upper surface and one lower surface both of them delimiting such body, at least one of such connecting plates being suited to be connected on one such upper surface or one such lower surface.

This invention pertains to a modular panel intended forvariable-geometry formwork.

Notedly, a formwork is a structure used in the building and constructiontrade to build the reinforced concrete works. It provides a casing intowhich the additional concrete in the liquid state is cast, after thereinforcement irons have been properly positioned, where the concretestays until the completion of the setting process and after the casthas, once the hardening phase has started, achieved such mechanicalstrength as to guarantee the absorption of the stress which thestructure has to withstand soon after the formwork itself has been takenapart.

Formworks can be made of several materials; in particular, formworks arecurrently available, which are made up of polystyrene foam panels madeby means of the technique generally referred to as Insulated ConcreteForm (ICF), as well as of their respective spacing connectors, which aredisposable items needed for the assembling and internal blocking of thevarious aforesaid panels making up the shuttering mould of a reinforcedconcrete wall.

In particular, the existing polystyrene panels feature, along theirupper and lower edges, a plurality of engaging teeth and/orcorresponding recesses suited to allow several such panels to beconnected by stacking. In all of the existing panels, both the engagingteeth and the recesses have been made of one single material as thepanel itself, which gives rise, depending on the varying complexity ofthe geometry of teeth and recess arrangement, to relatively highmanufacturing costs.

Furthermore, considering that, as regards the known formwork systems,the panels have been made of one single material as the engaging teethand the recesses, materials shall be used to manufacture such panels,which shall feature the necessary machinability characteristics thatwill make it possible to obtain the required shapes, even though suchmaterials are often not the ones most suitable for use in the buildingand construction trade, or a different type of material ought to beused.

Moreover, the currently known panels are manufactured by employing quitetroublesome production lines which implement firstly a raw materialexpansion phase (such raw material usually being polystyrene matchboard)followed by the panel stamping phase and the subsequent curing, whichrequires a minimum time of thirty days. It is also obvious that stampingthe panels to a number of different thicknesses and heights involvesmaking use of several moulds, the latter being quite expensive too.

In addition, all of the “disposable” formwork systems bearing the ICFacronym of American and Canadian origin, made up of polystyrene foampanels, pose serious transpiration problems that may lead to buildingreinforced concrete structures that will, especially in case of civilbuildings, give rise to the well-known causes of SBS (Sick BuildingSyndrome).

Thus, the aim of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problemsrelative to the older method, by providing a modular panel for modular,transpiring “disposable” variable-geometry formwork, which will make itpossible to separately carry and assemble on the spot the panel body ofthe panel itself as well as plates fitted with the engaging teeth and/orrecesses.

One further aim of this invention is to provide a modular insulatingpanel for modular, transpiring “disposable” variable-geometry formwork,which will make it possible to separately make the panel bodies and theplates fitted with engaging teeth and/or recesses, thus making itpossible to reduce the manufacturing costs.

One further aim of this invention is to provide a modularheat-insulation panel for modular, transpiring “disposable”variable-geometry formwork, which will make it possible to separatelymake the heat-insulation panel bodies and the plates fitted withengaging teeth and/or recesses, even made of materials differing fromone another, where needed so.

Moreover, one further aim of this invention is to provide a modularheat-insulation panel for modular, transpiring “disposable”variable-geometry formwork, which features lock-in profiles that willmake it possible to fit elements of the IPE type—“T” “H”.

One more aim of this invention is to provide a modular heat-insulationpanel for modular, transpiring “disposable” variable-geometry formwork,which will facilitate the transpiration process inside the modular,transpiring “disposable” formwork itself, made up of at least two panelsmutually facing one another and connected integrally by means of spacingconnectors.

Furthermore, one aim of this invention is to provide a modularheat-insulation panel for modular, transpiring “disposable”variable-geometry formwork, in which the heat-insulation panel body ismade by applying a hot wire cutting process associated with a specificneedle punch reinforced for that purpose, thus making the production ofsuch panels more cost-effective and faster compared to the panels madeby applying the method internationally known as Insulated Concrete Form(or ICF) of American origin (California), which are made by applyingonly traditional stamping methods.

The above and the other aims and advantages of the invention, asdetailed in the description hereafter, will be obtained by making use ofa modular heat-insulation panel for modular, transpiring “disposable”variable-geometry formwork, like the one described under claim 1.Preferred embodiment designs and original variants of this inventionwill be the object of the relevant claims.

It is obvious that a number of variants and modifications can be made tothe described items (e.g. variants and modifications concerning thedimensions, that is to say, height, length and thickness, and also theshape, as well as the shapes of the inner and outer faces of saidpanels, and also the respective arrangement and the parts performingsimilar functions) without departing from the scope of protection of theinvention, as referred to in the enclosed claims.

This invention will be best described by a few preferred embodiments,which will be provided by way of example and with no limitation thereto,with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective top view of a preferred embodiment of themodular panel intended for modular, transpiring “disposable”variable-geometry formwork in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the heat-insulation panel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the heat-insulation panel shown in FIG. 1;and

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the heat-insulation panel shown in FIG. 1.

By referring to the Figures, you can notice that the modularheat-insulation panel 1 intended for modular, transpiring “disposable”variable-geometry formwork, as referred to in the present invention, ismade up of at least one connecting plate 2 featuring, on its surface, aplurality of engaging teeth and/or recesses 4 and at least one panelbody 3 featuring an upper surface 5 and a lower surface 7 both of themdelimiting such body 3, at least one of such connecting plates 2 beingsuited to be connected on such an upper surface 5 or such a lowersurface 7.

Panel 1 referred to in the present invention and described above willtherefore make it possible, after it has been assembled by joiningconnecting plates 2 to the respective upper surface 5 ad lower surface7, to connect several panels 1 themselves by stacking, by fittingtogether the engaging teeth and/or recesses 4 of the respective plates2. Please also note that, due to plate 2 being fully co-planar to theside edges of the heat-insulation panel body 3, such plate 2 guaranteesthe distribution of the structural, tangential and punctiform load ofmasonry, once the modular, transpiring “disposable” formwork has beenassembled by means of the respective additional reinforced concretecast.

Obviously, the ways of connecting the connecting plates 2 on theheat-insulation panel body 3 may be most varied, thus without departingfrom the scope of protection of the present invention: the upper surface5 and the lower surface 7 may, for instance, both equipped with sidewalls 9 and the connecting plates 2 can be connected to such surfaces 5,7 of the heat-insulation panel body 3 through mere elastic interferencebetween the edges of plates 2 themselves and said walls 9. As analternative or in addition thereto, as shown in the Figures by way ofexample, the surfaces of plates 2 suited to come into contact with thecorresponding surface 5, 7 may feature a plurality of elastic pins 11suited to fit into corresponding seats properly arranged on suchsurfaces 5, 7 and also grip (through interference) inside the same dueto elastic expansion of pins 11 themselves.

Obviously, plates 2 can also be connected with the upper surface 5 andthe lower surface 7 of panel body 3 by any one means suitable for thepurpose, such as, for instance, by gluing, nailing, screwing down, andso on; moreover, the aforesaid means can be employed to assist theconnection methods described above to increase the connection stabilitybetween the plates 2 and the panel body 3.

In a preferred variant of heat-insulation panel 1 referred to in thepresent invention, a plurality of transpiration through-channels 12 runfrom the upper surface 5 to the lower surface 7 of panel body 3, and theconnecting plate 2 features a plurality of corresponding transpirationholes 14 at the outlets of such channels 12 as the plate 2 itself isconnected with such surfaces 5, 7. Thus, when several heat-insulationpanels 1 as referred to in the present invention are stacked onto oneanother, a transpiration grid will be obtained, which is suited tofacilitate the perfect, homogeneous escape of vapour from inside themodular, transpiring “disposable” formwork made by means of suchheat-insulation panels 1, and also guarantee thermal performance, sinceno convective air motion can occur.

As a further alternative (or addition thereto), it can be anticipatedthat through-bars (not shown), preferably in the form of metal rods orFRP bars, may be fitted inside at least some of the transpirationthrough-channels 12 of panel body 3 and of the correspondingtranspiration holes 14 of plates 2, such through-bars strengthening thelocking between the plates and the body of the heat-insulation panel andalso making it possible, depending on their length, to structurallystrengthen the individual heat-insulation panel 1 after the latter hasbeen assembled or the connection among several heat-insulation panels 1(as referred to in the present invention) stacked onto one another, aswell as create a wide reinforcement in order to make the heat-insulationpanel 1 itself tangentially structural, depending on the specific needs.

The heat-insulation panel body 3 may feature a plurality of firstall-purpose lock-in profiles 15, preferably in the form of male orfemale dovetails, suited to make it possible to connect a plurality ofheat-insulation panels 1 (as referred to in the present invention) withany one other structural element needed to assemble a modular,transpiring “disposable” formwork, such as, for instance, spacingconnectors, other panels 1 or panels known in the relevant engineeringfield, ventilated panels, connecting bridles, and so on, usuallyemployed in the building and construction trade. Please note that suchfirst all-purpose lock-in profiles 15 are productively arranged,preferably in a vertical direction, on at least both of the side wallsof body 3, in such a manner that the aforesaid structural elements canbe connected both inside and outside the modular, transpiring“disposable” formwork made up of such heat-insulation panels 1.

Still more preferably, in order to guarantee full reversibility of theheat-insulation panel 1 referred to in the present invention, at leastone first wall of body 3 is equipped with a plurality of firstall-purpose lock-in profiles 15 featuring male dovetails, whereas thesecond wall of body 3 opposite the first one is equipped with acorresponding plurality of first all-purpose lock-in profiles 15featuring female dovetails, so as to allow co-planar connection ofseveral heat-insulation panels 1 as referred to in the presentinvention, without having to use other external connecting items.

In addition, the heat-insulation panel body 3 may be equipped with aplurality of second lock-in profiles 17, the latter being stillpreferably arranged in a vertical and/or horizontal (not shown)direction, suited to make it possible to fit elements of the IPE or “T”(not shown) type, for instance made of steel or any other materialsuitable for the purpose in accordance with the present invention, forinstance, plastic and/or composite materials such as fibre-glass, FRPs(Fibre Reinforced Polymers), carbon fibre, and so on.

Obviously, in order to allow such elements to be fitted in, the plate 2itself is equipped with a plurality of lock-in profiles 19corresponding, both as regards the shape and the position, with thesecond lock-in profiles 17 when plate 2 itself is connected with thesurfaces 5, 7 of panel body 3. The same elements of the IPE or “T” typefitted inside the lock-in profiles 17, 19 of plates 2 and panel body 3,respectively, connected with one another, will make it possible toincrease the connection stability between the plates 2 and theheat-insulation panel body 3 themselves.

Furthermore, the same structural elements of the IPE or “T” type will,after they have been fitted into the lock-in profiles 17, 19, allow theco-planar connection of several panels 1 as referred to in the presentinvention, and/or the assembling, inside and/or outside theheat-insulation panel 1 itself, of ventilated walls or of any otherheat-insulation panel made of other materials, such as, for instance,crushed shard, thermal coating bricks, stone, calcium silicate, concretewood, and so on, thus guaranteeing the structural strength thereof evenin seismic areas: please note that the same structural elements of theIPE or “T” type will productively make it possible, with the aid ofspacing connectors (if any) suited to connect a raw brick and/or brickpanel and for thermal coating, to do without the internal casting ofstructural concrete.

Obviously, as known in the relevant engineering field, both theheat-insulation panel body 3, obviously featuring different shapes,thicknesses and forms in order to adapt to the various building andconstruction acoustic and energy saving requirements known in therelevant trade, and the respective connecting plates 2 may be made ofhigh-density EPS polystyrene foam for use in accordance with theInsulated Concrete Form (ICF) method: obviously, it can be anticipatedthat the heat-insulation panel body 3 and/or the connecting plates 2 canbe made of any other material, which may also be a fibre-composite one,suitable for the purpose, without therefore departing from the scope ofprotection of this invention.

The heat-insulation panel body 3 can productively be made also fromlarge-sized polystyrene blocks (i.e. parallelepipeds) by applying a hotwire cutting process associated with specific punch suitable for thatpurpose, that is to say, prior to squaring the panel 1 itself to therequired dimensions. Obviously, the same heat-insulation panel body 3can be made by milling, by stamping by means of specific moulds made ofaluminum as well as by extrusion, by wire-drawing and also by pressingwith various materials such as, preferably, polystyrene foam, structuralthermoplastic composite materials, clay and naturally dried naturalsand, clay and blast furnace-baked sand, clay and sand and perlite orpolystyrene beads-perlite with addition of additives such asmagnesium-based binders and other composite insulating materials,cellular concrete, pumice concrete, concrete and volcanic lapilli,concrete wood, concrete and cork grains, glass wool with specialthermosetting resins and other insulating minerals of natural origin orsynthetic materials.

The making of the heat-insulation panel body 3 by applying a hot wirecutting process associated with specific punches suitable to the purposeand by making use of large-sized blocks (parallelepipeds) will thereforeoffer the following advantages:

-   -   no preparation of specific aluminum moulds;    -   no dimensional shrink or distortion following the conventional        stamping operations;    -   no curing phase, since the heat-insulation panel bodies 3 are        made from parallelepiped blocks previously cured to eliminate        the water accumulated during the sintering phase itself;    -   production of heat-insulation panel bodies 3 featuring the        desired dimensions, with no constraint at all;    -   obtainment of heat-insulation panel bodies 3 featuring such a        surface roughness that will guarantee better finish hold        (trimming) in the event that they are used also as        thermo-acoustic coating.

Obviously, the heat-insulation panel bodies 3 made as described abovecan be subsequently milled, if necessary, to obtain the lock-in profilesin a longitudinal or reticular fashion, indeed also in the multiple andmodular fashion, to insert, for instance, further heat-insulation panelsmade of other materials still featuring proper insulating performance,such as polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene, expandedpolypropylene, raw bricks, honeycomb bricks, calcium silicate, concretewood, perlite, additives from specific binders, and so on.

In addition, one of the advantages given by this invention ischaracterized in that the heat-insulation panel body 3 and/or theconnecting plates 2 can be made of materials fully different from oneanother: for instance, it can be anticipated that panel body 3 will bemade of raw bricks, brickwork, calcium silicate, concrete wood, and soon, and that the connecting plates 2 will be made of EPS polystyrenefoam and/or thermoplastic composite materials featuring high structuraland compression strength. Please note that the production ofheat-insulation panels according to the known method entailing the useonly of raw bricks and/or brickwork is nearly impossible, due to thevery high costs to be incurred. Conversely, thanks to theheat-insulation panel 1 referred to in the present invention, in whichthe heat-insulation panel body 3 and the plates 2 can be made separatelyand subsequently assembled, the only heat-insulation panel body 3 can bemade of raw brick, honeycomb bricks, that is to say, without the complexand delicate engaging teeth and/or recess distribution, merely by meansof any one extrusion process by making use of conventional formingmachines with resulting trim to the desired and calibrated measurementby means of surface grinding of the upper and lower bases of said panelbody during the production phase itself.

As an alternative, due to the same reasons above, it can be anticipatedthat the heat-insulation panel body 3 will be made of a metal material,such as, for instance, aluminum and, in order to avoid problemsresulting from the occurrence of thermal bridges, that the plates 2 willbe made of a thermoplastic material and/or thermoplastic materialsfilled with talc, fibre-glass, and so on.

As one further alternative—and due to the same reasons above—it can beanticipated that the heat-insulation panel body 3 and the plates 2 willbe made of a fire-proof materials or any other material featuring thedesired technical characteristics.

In addition, the heat-insulation panel body 3 and the plates 2 may beequipped with a plurality of surface score lines arranged by multiplepitches in order to be able to be partitioned to measure my mere manualeffort.

1. A modular panel for transpiring, variable-geometry heat-insulationformwork, wherein it consists of the following items: a. at least oneconnecting plate featuring, on its surface, a plurality of engagingteeth and/or recesses; and b. at least one heat-insulation panel bodyfeaturing one upper surface and one lower surface both of themdelimiting said body, at least one of said connecting plates beingseparated by said panel body during transport, and being equipped withconnecting means suited to engage corresponding connecting means of saidheat-insulation panel body to allow the same to be connected on saidupper surface or said lower surface of said panel body.
 2. Theheat-insulation panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said uppersurface and lower surface are joined to each other by means of sidewalls and said connecting plates are connected with said surfaces ofsaid panel body through elastic interference between some edges of saidplates and said walls.
 3. The heat-insulation panel in accordance withclaim 1, wherein some surfaces of said plates suited to come intocontact with one corresponding said surface are equipped with aplurality of elastic pins suited to fit into corresponding seatsarranged on said surfaces and grip, through interference, inside thesame due to elastic expansion of said pins.
 4. The heat-insulation panelin accordance with claim 1, wherein said plates are connected with saidupper surface and lower surface by mere pressure or by gluing, nailingor screwing down.
 5. The heat-insulation panel in accordance with claim1, wherein a plurality of transpiration through-channels run throughsaid panel body, from said upper surface to said lower surface, and saidconnecting plate is equipped with a plurality of transpiration holes thepositions thereof correspond to outlets of said channels when said plateis connected with said surfaces.
 6. The panel in accordance with claim5, wherein structural through-bars are fitted inside at least some ofsaid transpiration through-channels of said panel body and of saidcorresponding transpiration holes of said plates.
 7. The heat-insulationpanel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said panel body features aplurality of first all-purpose lock-in profiles suited to allow saidpanel to be connected with any other structural element needed forassembling said modular, transpiring “disposable” formwork.
 8. Theheat-insulation panel in accordance with claim 7, wherein said firstall-purpose lock-in profile features a male or female dovetail shape. 9.The heat-insulation panel in accordance with claim 7, wherein said firstall-purpose lock-in profiles are arranged, preferably in a vertical,horizontal direction and also in a reticular fashion, on at least bothof the side walls of said body.
 10. The heat-insulation panel inaccordance with claim 8, wherein at least one first wall of said body isequipped with a plurality of said first all-purpose lock-in profilesshaped like a male dovetail, whereas one second wall of said bodyopposite said first wall is equipped with a corresponding plurality ofsaid first all-purpose lock-in profiles shaped like a female dovetail.11. The panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said panel bodyfeatures a plurality of second lock-in profiles, preferably arranged ina vertical direction, suited to allow elements of the IPE or “T” type tobe fit in.
 12. The heat-insulation panel in accordance with claim 1,wherein said panel body is made of raw brick and/or honeycomb bricks,calcium silicate or concrete wood.
 13. The panel in accordance withclaim 1, wherein said heat-insulation panel body is made of aluminum andsaid plate is made of a thermoplastic material and/or a thermoplasticmaterial filled with talc or fibre-glass.
 14. The heat-insulation panelin accordance with claim 1, wherein said plate is equipped with aplurality of surface score lines arranged by multiple pitches.
 15. Theheat-insulation panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said panelbody is suited to be made by applying a hot wire cutting process, thesame being associated with specific punches suitable for the purpose,from large-sized parallelepiped blocks.
 16. The heat-insulation panel inaccordance with claim 1, wherein said panel body is made of polystyrenefoam, structural thermoplastic composite materials, clay and naturallydried natural sand, clay and blast furnace-baked sand, clay and sand andperlite or polystyrene beads-perlite with addition of additives such asmagnesium-based binders and other composite insulating materials,cellular concrete, calcium silicate, pumice concrete, concrete andvolcanic lapilli, concrete wood, concrete and cork grains or glass woolwith special thermosetting resins.